The present invention relates to furniture components, and in particular it relates to desktops, tables, shelves, fitting-carrying wall structures and other components. In further detail, the invention relates to a connecting system for modular furniture elements, which are used for assembling the above-mentioned furniture components.
In the furniture production, typically modular structures are produced, which, on one side, allow assembling furniture components with different configurations, and, on the other side, have the advantage that they can be easily transported to the place where they are assembled in easy, quick and stable way.
There are known various systems for the reciprocal connection of the elements used to form the furniture components.
Some of these systems include matching or bridging members made on the furniture elements and aimed at connecting the elements with other mating elements. The connection is definitely stabilized by means of screws or other similar fixing means. To make this operation easier, special holes are suitably provided.
Other known connecting systems include internally bored and threaded bushings, which are fitted into related recesses made along edges of a first series of elements, which are to be connected. Elements of a second series have holes, through which relevant screws are made to pass. The screws are then screwed into the threaded bushings.
All the connecting systems mentioned above, have drawbacks such as low stability and/or rigidity of the connections between the elements, assembling complexity, remarkable amount of time needed for carrying out the assembling operation.
Furthermore, the known connecting systems are often affected by a certain lack of modularity and extension possibilities of the assembly, particularly with reference to the set up of multifunctional structures.
A technical solution disclosed in the Italian patent application BO2001A000307 includes one or more pin rods fastened to a carrier element, for example in axial alignment therewith. Each pin rod has a circular groove all around. The mating elements, which are to be joined with the carrier element, have small blocks mounted thereto, with holes made therein. For instance, the blocks are fastened to the internal part of the mating elements, located in suitable positions.
To carry out the connection operation, the pin rods must be introduced into the holes of the small blocks. Then, threaded dowels are screwed into threaded holes made in the small blocks, for instance at an angle of 90xc2x0 with reference to the holes receiving the pin rods.
In this way, the connection is stabilized.
The main object of the present invention is to propose a connecting system for modular furniture structures, in particular desktops, tables, shelves, fitting-carrying wall structures, which system requires a limited number of parts and allows the connection to be carried out in a simple way, though obtaining furniture structures even very complex.
A further object of the present invention is to propose a connecting system for modular furniture structures, by means of which stable and strong connection can be obtained, with a shorter assembling time with reference to the systems currently used.
The above mentioned objects are achieved by a connecting system for modular furniture structures, in particular for writing desktops, tables, fitting-carrying wall structures, including at least one carrier upright element, to which other complementary structural elements are joined by means of connection means, wherein:
this upright element has an external substantially square section with a plurality of sides, and on each side at least one longitudinal groove having cross-section larger at inside of the upright element, and shorter at the relevant outer side of the same upright element;
the above-mentioned grooves give the longitudinal corners of the upright element situated between them a quasi trapezoidal or dovetail shape, with a longer base turned toward inside the upright element and a shorter base turned outwards;
said connection means are slidably mounted within said longitudinal grooves and/or along said longitudinal quasi trapezoidal or dovetail shaped corners and have a shape complementary with said longitudinal grooves and longitudinal quasi trapezoidal or dovetail shaped corners respectively.